


With Half an Elixir

by BandaBecca



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 07:17:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14183757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BandaBecca/pseuds/BandaBecca
Summary: Inquisitor Lavellen finds Cullen unresponsive in lyrium withdraw, and does what she can to rouse him, the close contact bringing feelings finally to the surface...





	With Half an Elixir

**Author's Note:**

> Inquisitor Olivier (oh-LIV-ee-yay) where you can check out my bandabecca Tumblr for more!
> 
> Enjoy and thank you for taking the time to read! <3

I knew Cullen was with Rylen that afternoon, working on various reports that couldn’t simply be signed off without looking through and spending time reviewing each one. Deciding on one schematic over another, which would benefit which soldiers in their respective roles best, overseeing inventory of the armoury, and of course, calibrating trebuchets. 

The report I was bringing him was light in my hand, my handwritten note over it reading, ‘I figured this was the best course of action, but wanted you to check it over before I handing it back to Josephine.’ I laboured over how to close the note for over fifteen minutes before giving up and not signing it at all, knowing by now that he would recognise my handwriting. It was a small thing, a decision on what best to pack for our upcoming trip to Adamant and who would have to carry it, my decision to cut down the ‘necessities’ that Josephine first proposed felt like a big enough change that I wanted a second set of eyes to confirm it. 

I pushed the door open with my shoulder, humming quietly to myself as I laid the paper on his desk. My bare feet were quiet on the stone as I made my way back out again, but I hesitated when I heard sounds in his loft. Freezing in place, I cocked my head so the point of my ears angled toward the sound, ready to identify the sounds of an intruder.

It was heavy, struggled breathing. The first association my ears had to the sound was that he had company above, and even through the simultaneous sensations of a drop of my stomach and the raising of bile in my throat, next I heard a moan. Even with my mind full of swirling thoughts, this moan didn’t sound borne from pleasure. I moved to the bottom of the ladder looking up. There was still a slight shyness in me, a feeling that I might be wrong, and I shouldn’t be here, but the moan was of pain, there was no doubt of that.

‘Cullen?’ I called up, my voice quiet and cracking. I tried again, pushing my voice out harder this time. ‘Cullen!’

There was only laboured breathing. I grit my teeth and grabbed the first rung. ‘I’m coming up,’ I called.

I was scanning the room the moment my eyes raised above the ledge. The room looked empty at first, but as I moved higher, Cullen was in bed, armour in an unorganised heap at the foot of the bed. Both feet on solid ground, I rushed to the bed. He was shirtless, chest glistening with sweat, only his trousers left on his body and only one boot still on his foot. His arm was over his eyes, chest rising and falling under the strain of his deep breaths, stuttering when he coughed. 

I didn’t move his arm from his eyes but placed a shaking hand to his cheek. ‘Oh Cullen.’ The heat from his clammy skin sent a sharp fear down my arms. I said his name again, but he still didn’t respond. I stood, looking down on him, scrambling to think of what I could do to help. 

Rushing back out of his loft to our main healer, Millesandre, she seemed familiar with the effects of lyrium withdrawal, handing over a vial and a pitcher of water, instructing me to put twenty drops of the elixir in a glass of water for him to drink every hour. I held it all tightly against my chest and rushed out, grabbing a cloth from a tall pile on one of the shelves before closing the door behind me. 

I spilled quite a bit of water from the pitcher on the way back up the ladder, but I didn’t slow until I had placed all of it on his bedside table. 

I dipped the cloth in the cool water and reached to gently pull his arm from his eyes. He didn’t react as I did so, nor when I wiped the cloth over his face before laying it over his forehead. ‘It’s Olivier. Don’t worry, I’ll do what I can to...’ but I didn't know how to finish. His eyes stayed closed, but his head turned toward me. I placed a hand on his brow. ‘I’m sorry.’

I spent the next hour or so trying to cool down his fever, trying to rouse him enough that he could take the elixir Millesandre had given me. I removed his other boot and wiped the sweat from his skin, singing old song from the clan as I did so. The sun crept lower and lower until I had to light a few candles in the small room. While he didn’t seem to be getting worse, he still hadn’t stirred. 

Once more, I dipped the cloth in the cool water, folded it, and placed it on his forehead. At the cool touch, his eyebrows knit together. I froze as his hand raised and closed on my wrist. His fingers were warm, but not as warm as the rest of him, and his grip wavered.

I laid my other hand over his chest. ‘Cullen?’ He mumbled, mouth not quite forming coherent words. I traced circles over his skin. ‘If you can sit up, even just a bit, I have some potion that will help.’ His breathing deepened before one final deep breath as he opened his eyes, focusing on me.

A weight lifted off my chest. I couldn’t help but smile. ‘Hi.’

‘Hi.’ His voice was rough, and before he could fall asleep again, I turned to the bed side table, the elixir already prepared. 

‘Millesandre gave me this. It will help.’ I half expected him to refuse it, but he reached for it. I slipped my hand under his head, not letting go of the glass, unsure how steady his grip would be. He drank half the glass, and though I wanted to push him to drink the rest, I returned it to the table. I pulled the cloth from his forehead, dabbing his face with it he sighed under the ministrations, closing his eyes. ‘Where is the pain worst?’

His eyes were closed, and I thought perhaps he had fallen back to sleep. ‘No place is worse than another. You don’t need to worry.’ 

‘You’ve been sleeping for a long time. I—I couldn’t wake you.’

He opened his eyes then, eyes lingering on me, bloodshot but focused. ‘You…stayed?’

I held the cloth tightly in my fist, resting on his upper arm. ‘Of course I did. You were…’ I took a deep breath, not able to find the words, but feeling far too shy to say what I really wanted to: I was worried about him, of course I was. I turned and dipped the cloth in the bowl of water again and rang it out, knowing he was watching me. 

I struggled for something to say, feeling the urgency of the silence in my bones. ‘I know you want to be concerned about the reports, but I made sure they were taken care of. I did as much as I could, and anything I couldn’t, I passed to Rylen.’ I laid the cloth on his head again, the action feeling too clearly a movement to keep my hands busy.

‘Thank you. I should be fine by tomorrow. You won’t need to take over any more of my work.’ The crease between his brows was back, as fierce as when he placed one of his figures on the war table. 

I bit the inside of my cheek. I didn’t want to stay silent anymore about how I felt when he was near me. About how I felt seeing him in such turmoil all afternoon. The words coagulated in my throat, but the switch had flipped, and I wasn’t going to back down. I ran my palm down his arm, the skin cooler than before, my fingertips playing against his skin until I reached his hand. I pushed my fingers through his, closing his hand in mine. I swallowed before looking up to his face again, his eyes slightly wide. Perhaps I had been wrong to do this now, but in a moment, his hand tightened around mine.

The touch freed my words. ‘I’m so happy you’re awake. You really scared me.’

‘I’m sorry. I would have notified you, but the symptoms came on so quickly and…’ He glanced away. 

‘What is it?’

‘I didn’t want you to see me this way.’ His eyebrows turned up in shame or sadness, I wasn’t sure.

I put my other hand on the nape of his neck and leaned down to him, placing a kiss on his cheek, my lips sneaking just enough to catch the corner of his lips under mine. I lingered there, breathing him in, the smell of leather and lingering sweat of his fever not unwelcome. I pulled away, still close enough that our breaths mingled. ‘It only reminds me how brave you are for doing this.’ I traced the line of his jaw with my finger. ‘I understand why you wouldn’t have wanted me here, and if you don’t want me to stay, I won’t, but…I care for you. I’m glad to have been able to help. To be close to you, even now. I’m just…so sorry that you have this struggle.’

He reached up to me, and I leaned down to close the distance. He pressed his hand on my cheek, the size of it nearly covering me from jaw to crown. I leaned into the touch, the smile too big to hold back. His eyes fluttered as I held my hand over his. ‘Please stay,’ he said quietly.

I nodded as his eyes closed again.

 

I was too hot, and the cotton blanket must have shifted as scratchy woollen material tickled my skin when I stretched my legs, turning to my side. My elbow bumped a hard mass, and I opened my eyes slowly, Cullen’s form filling up the space next to mine. The elixir was half finished on the table, my clothes on the floor where I had left them after putting on Cullen’s tunic while he was sleeping. 

When I had climbed over him and into bed, he had stirred. I put a hand on his forehead. ‘Rest,’ I whispered.

‘Olivier?’ his voice was a mumble, and I wasn’t sure if he had really woken when he said it. He turned his body toward me, bringing his arm around me, pulling me against him. I froze in place, though his action made any tiredness leave my body immediately. I looked over, but his facial features were calm. I traced my fingers up and down his arm until I fell asleep.

The sun was just beginning to rise now, and I reached my hand up to rest on his forehead before moving to his cheek. His temperature seemed normal again, and the tightness in his brow was gone, just the calm of sleep left behind.

I pulled my hand away, and the moment I did so, Cullen turned toward me, fully lifting his head and chest off the bed to lay back down over me, his cheek over my breast, settling with a deep, sleepy sigh. 

My arms fell naturally around him, one hand resting on his hair. I bit down on my lip, and even though I was able to contain any sound, the laughter shook my chest enough to wake him.

He groaned softly, his arms tightening around me. He yawned loudly before his eyes snapped open. He stayed still for a moment before pushing himself off me with a jerking movement.

‘I’m sorry!’ He said looking down at me, eyes still puffy from sleep yet still able to convey alarm. I reached up and threaded my fingers through his hair, still smiling. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him gently back down. His eyes widened slightly, but he settled on the pillow next to me, our noses almost touching. 

With a small laugh, I guided him onto his back, resting my chin on his chest looking up at him. His eyes were still a bit wide, but he was beaming regardless. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Um…better.’

I brushed a stray lock of his hair to the side, my fingers lingering on his temple.

His ears blushed a stunning pink as I continued tracing the contours of his nose. ‘I—I think I could work t—today.’ 

I sat up, relief flowing out of me in a great wave. ‘Really?’

He leaned up on his elbow. ‘Yes, I have only a slight headache, but eating breakfast might even…’ He stopped speaking, his eyes falling to my chest. 

I glanced down, instinctively pulling my shirt closed though the ties were holding it closed. ‘What is it?’

His Adam’s Apple bobbed. ‘Is that my tunic?’

‘Oh. Yes, I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to leave you just to go get a night gown from my quarters.’ I rubbed the fabric between my fingers, realising that when the sun shined on me from behind this way that the fabric became quite transparent. ‘I’ll wash it and get it back right aw—’ 

He sat up quickly, his hand tucking under my ear, pulling my face to his in a rough kiss. Surprised, I almost reacted by flinching away, but in another moment, his other hand was on my bare knee. The feeling lit fire under my skin, the heat spreading directly between my legs. I sighed into his mouth, fingers reaching for his bare chest, desperate to touch every inch, to feel his skin under mine.

His mouth moved to my neck, and I tipped my head back with a sigh, stretching out my legs to either side of him. His fingers moved past my smalls, up my stomach, over my ribs and hesitated before moving any higher.

He broke the kiss but didn’t pull away, his whisper against my lips. ‘Olivier.’

‘Touch me. Please.’

His fingers paused for a moment longer before taking a breast in each hand, closing his fingers together to pinch the nipples gently. My stomach leapt into my throat at the sensation, releasing a gasping breath as I pressed my forehead to his. I breathed out a curse in Elvhen before his lips locked on mine again, more urgent than before.

The door downstairs burst open, Cassandra’s voice ringing clearly in the way only her assertive voice could. ‘Cullen? Are you awake?’

I jumped at the sound, leaning away from him, a sudden blush rising to my cheeks though she couldn’t know I was here.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and pressed a fisted hand against his forehead before calling down, ‘I am. What do you need?’

‘That messenger you hate so much just told me you were suffering from an illness. I figured it was the lyrium. Is there anything I can do to help?’

His eyes darted to mine before calling out, ‘Thank you, but I’m feeling much batter after resting last night.’

‘Was the Inquisitor by? She didn’t come for her evening training like she usually does.’

I looked at him, smiling. ‘Was she?’ I whispered.

‘Um…yes, she came by.’ He swallowed. ‘I’ll be down soon. With a bit of breakfast, I’ll be back to normal.’

‘I’m glad. Please do tell me if there’s anything I can do to make any of it easier.’ The door opened and closed again.

Cullen ran his fingers through his hair. ‘I’m sure she’s on her way to your quarters to check if you’re there.’

I hummed a laugh. ‘Probably.’ I raised my hands over my head in a deep stretch. ‘I’ll say I was pranking with Sera. She’ll be too afraid to ask for details.’ I climbed over him and out of bed, standing over my rumpled clothes in a heap on the floor from last night. ‘But if breakfast is what’s going to make you feel better, then we should get dressed and head to the main hall, don’t you think?’ I pulled his tunic over my head and let it fall to the floor.

He didn’t say a single word more, his bare chest catching me as I fell forward onto him when he pulled me back to bed.


End file.
